The Twin Dilemma

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #63

by Carolyn Keene

When a star model disappears, Aunt Eloise insists that Nancy replace the model in a fashion show. Nancy reluctantly accepts the invitation, only to discover that several of the clothes for the show have been stolen! Once on the trail of her elusive enemies, Nancy discovers clue after clue pointing to a diabolical scheme that she must stop at all costs!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade, Classics, Mystery Thriller

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.

Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.

Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.

Reviews

[Lauren Schultz · Rating 1 out of 5]

In The Twin Dilemma, Nancy Drew has stepped forward into the 1980s - but gone decades backward in terms of her feminist cred. Whoever stepped in to ghostwrite this novel either had no clue that Nancy Drew is a feminist superhero in her own right or had been instructed by the editors to refashion our beloved Nancy as a more "girlish" (re: lame) protagonist for the pastel pantsuit-loving 80s. I began to feel a little ill as I read this novel, seeing my favorite heroine stripped of many of her skills and relegated to much less exciting plotlines.

First of all, everyone in The Twin Dilemma keeps commenting that Nancy doesn't look anything like a detective. Not only to they express surprise, but then they belittle her capabilities, making a snap judgment about her based on her appearance. "Forgive me for saying this, but I think you ought to leave that sort of investigation up to someone with experience," says one man. "You never know how tough things might get, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." The comments of this condescending asshat are a huge contrast to the reactions of characters in the older Nancy Drew books. In the novels written in the 1930s-1960s, everyone from people on the street to local law enforcement and police chiefs take it in stride that Nancy is a detective and are immediately glad to have her assistance or to work with her.

Then there is the fact that Nancy and her friends Bess and George are suddenly a lot less skilled and capable then in previous novels. Nancy, Bess and George have been riding horses, flying planes, assisting at archaeological digs, driving motor boats and operating sail boats for decades. Nancy knows several languages and has talent for painting and drawing. Although she isn't depicted as ever having officially taken a paying job, she has gone undercover plenty of times and she has also done plenty of work to assist her father, who is a lawyer. But in The Twin Dilemma, Nancy's talents seem to be relegated to a talent for modeling, which several people urge her to take up instead of detecting. The hardest part of the novel to swallow was this exchange between Nancy, Bess and George:

"I can either try to get a job with the Millington Company or with Chalmers," said Nancy.

"Are you kidding?" George said. "You've never worked for anybody i your whole life - other than your father, of course."

"I know," Nancy said, "but there's always a first time. Besides, how else am I going to get any inside information?"

The cousins had to admit Nancy was making good sense.

"Can you type?" Bess asked.

"Some."

"Take shorthand?" George inquired.

Nancy shook her head. "But I can scrub floors if I have to." She giggled.

[...] "Well, I can't work on an empty stomach," Bess remarked.

"That's assuming we get jobs," George said. "What if we don't?"

"And what if no one will interview us?" Bess added.

Given that Nancy can not only handle both a motorboat and a roadster when criminals are trying to run her down, but can also sketch accurate portraits and perform other artistic and mental feats, she's clearly skilled and capable enough to handle office work as well. (In fact, it is a running joke amongst many fans that Nancy is portrayed as being skilled at too many things to be realistic.) While all three girls may not have prioritized learning secretarial skills like typing and taking shorthand, I would find it unlikely that Nancy herself wouldn't have at least some experience with typing. In fact, I seem to recall another novel (too bad that I don't remember which one) in which Nancy stepped in to help her father's secretary with typing a note. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here!) Not only are Nancy, Bess and George's stated lack of skills somewhat difficult to believe, but the very tone of their conversation in this scene is hard to swallow. Nancy is the only one who exhibits any kind of confidence that the girls will be able to obtain jobs, and even her own self-confidence is downplayed with the fact that she giggles and says she can scrub floors in order to get an undercover position at one of these companies. All three of them are being portrayed as silly girls with a wavering sense of self-confidence, which is so completely out of line with Nancy and George's characters in particular that it makes me feel a little bit sick.

Finally, there's the fact that the very plot itself is completely flaccid. This is a Nancy Drew novel, which usually features at least one instance of Nancy being run off the road, kidnapped, etc. Given that after World War II, there was a time period that it was only socially acceptable for boys to get into truly dangerous scrapes, the dangers that Nancy faces in the novels written during the 1950s and 60s aren't usually quite as exciting as those that the Hardy Boys encounter. For example, I recently read a novel where Frank and Joe find themselves in the middle of a gang fight, and the brothers are frequently being bombed or dealing with international criminals. Nancy usually isn't threatened by explosions or gangs, because that would be a bit too rough for our ladylike heroine. But in The Twin Dilemma, Nancy is investigating theft of some of designer fashions and the unexplained brief disappearance of a fashion model who throws a wrench in a charity fashion show. The stakes are so low in this mystery that it's quite a disappointment, and danger is pretty much non-existent for most of the novel. At one point, Nancy is locked in a dark office and the electricity is cut for the building (gasp!) so she has to jimmy her way out of the room to avoid spending an uncomfortable night away from home. Another supposedly sinister event in the novel is that Nancy is lured by a fake telegram from her father, which causes her TO STAY HOME ALL DAY instead of going out and investigating the mystery. What an incredibly diabolical plot!! (Please note my hopefully obvious HEAVY use of sarcasm here.) I really think that Mildred Wirt Benson, the original author of the Nancy Drew novels, would roll over in her grave if she read The Twin Dilemma. After all, Benson created Nancy as the kind of girl who sped around in a roadster and carried a gun, for pete's sake. And this Nancy's biggest physical challenge is bumping her shins on a desk in a darkened office while searching for something to help her jimmy a lock. Also notably, the girls are also considered to be in a bit of danger when they get on a bus going in the wrong direction and don't get home before dark! Nancy's Aunt Eloise actually chastises them that they shouldn't be running around New York City at night, which would make sense in some cases (especially in the 80s) except for the fact that these are young women who regularly investigate crimes and brush shoulders with criminals anyway. That pesky career as detectives might be what you want to chastise them for, Aunt Eloise, as opposed to the fact that they got home 20 minutes late...

Anyway, The Twin Dilemma is a huge disappointment. If you're used to the Nancy Drew who bravely faces down dangerous situations, I might consider reading this particular novel if I were you.

Side Note: I've now officially reread all the yellow spine editions as an adult... and it's on to the original versions of the Nancy Drews, or at least as many as I can get my hands on!

[Simone]

I was on vacation in Barbados and stumbled across this book in a convenience store. I was an ardent Nancy Drew fan as a child so I was thrilled to find this on sale. I wanted to recapture a part of my childhood and also judge these books by my adult standards. I enjoyed reading this and could not for the life of me figure out who the culprit was before the ending, something I used to be able to do as a child.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to read Nancy Drew as a kid. She was my hero. I mean a female Sherlock Holmes, c'mon. Of course as a kid I never realized how quaint and old fashioned these books could be. And lets not even start on how George basically bullies Bess about her weight. Can't say I particularly enjoyed this one all that much. Nancy is the most perfect of perfect Mary Sue's. She's slim enough to model, she's strikingly beautiful and brains, she has them. The fact that the police in New York have heard of her and let Bess and George look at mug shots and the fact that everyone agrees to let Nancy do her detective thing is a bit too much. Her client, Mr. Reese in this was meant to come off eccentric and temperamental I think but he came of looking unbalanced and unbelievable. Flat characters in short. The mystery end wasn't well executed and the reasoning of the thief had little backstory, which was unsatisfying.

Not the best of Nancy Drew.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF because it was not fun

[Lyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un enquête pleine de rebondissements et de dangers ! Une fois de plus, Alice et ses amies ont fait preuve d'intelligence et de courage. Même le monde de la mode peut-être trompeur et dangereux.

[Novella Dwisri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lumayanlah cerita gadis remaja yang jadi detektif ini: Nancy Drew. Meski isinya tak sesuai ekspetasi awal saya setelah nonton filmnya lebih dulu yang diperankan Emma Roberts 2007 silam. Nancy yang energik dan cerdik sebagai detektif itu punya pesona yang membuatnya menjadi peragawati yang memamerkan busana rancangan Richard Reese (terkenal dalam cerita ini) setelah peragawati yang seharusnya memamerkan busana itu, Jacqueline Henri, hilang dari latihan peragaan busana yang dipanitiai oleh bibinya Nancy, Eloise Drew, pada novel karya Carolyn Keene seri ke 63 ini. Sesuai judulnya dalam bahasa Indonesia "Teka-Teki Ganda", isinya memang membahas kasus yang banyak teka-tekinya sehingga pas kita baca dari awal sampe seperempat akhir novel ini kita akan menganggap lawan Nancy terlalu banyak, ini mana tokoh kawan Nancy yang bakal nolong disaat kritis? ya misalnya dalam Conan ada Miwako Sato dan Wataru Takagi, dua polisi yang siap sedia membantu tokoh utama sementara di Nancy saya bertanya-tanya mana tokoh polisinya yang berpengaruh gitu karena walau bagaimanapun juga Nancy dan dua sahabatnya: Bess dan George itu seorang gadis remaja yang dayanya tak sekuasa Conan yang di dalamnya terdapat jiwa pemuda SMA kelas dua ditambah alat canggih buatan profesor Agasa. Tapi diakhir cerita kita tahu ada kawan tersembunyi yang 'secara kebetulan' menolong mereka dari bahaya. Agak lama baca cerita ini karena perpindahan sudut pandangnya dalam bahasa kita kurang halus sehingga terkesan loncat-loncat tanpa jeda yang jelas. Cerita tentang beberapa penyamaran di sini alasannya takkan kita ketahui dengan petunjuk yang ditemui oleh Nancy sendiri, kita pada akhirnya tahu alasan banyaknya penyamaran itu justru dari pengarangnya Carolyn untuk kita pembacanya sehingga suasana misteri yang dipecahkan seorang detektif dalam cerita ini kurang terasa. Suasana culik-sekap untuk membungkam diam agar penyelidikan Nancy dan dua temannya terhenti memang cukup memancing suasana tegang dunia penyelidikan namun rasanya agak hambar untuk dibaca sehingga wajar kita sebagai pembaca dapat menebak dengan mudah pelakunya dan agak jenuh. Dasar cerita ini mulai dari orang hilang, baju hilang, pencurian rancangan baju, penyamaran, pengelabuan berakhir menjadi kasus penyelundupan dan penadahan barang yang ingin bebas dari bea cukai serta dendam pribadi pelakunya yang berkomplot dengan beberapa orang. Selain itu cerita kali ini kurang twist yang buat kita berdecak kagum dan penjelasan akhirnya juga cenderung dipaksakan selesai gak mengalir mungkin karena pertunjukan analisa seperti Kogoro Mouri di sini kurang dikembangkan semenarik dalam Sherlock Holmes karya Conan Doyle juga sih. Secara keseluruhan ceritanya lumayan kok meski gak banyak pelajaran jadi detektid dapat diambil seperti dalam Detektif Conan dan Sherlock Holmes.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

My older sister had two Nancy Drew books that she used to read to me as bedtime stories, but it wasn’t until The Twin Dilemma was featured in my school’s Scholastic flyer that I begged my parents for my own Nancy Drew book. They acquiesced and the paperback was my first Nancy Drew. Little did I know that I would spend the next few decades completing my collection of different cover art for the United States editions.

Re-reading The Twin Dilemma, it appears as if there’s a subtle change to the Nancy Drew Mysteries. It seems she’s a little less skilled and confident than in the books of decades prior. The only skills she seems to have is being a good sleuth and being a fill-in model. She, Bess and George are visiting Aunt Eloise in New York in order to attend a charity fashion show her aunt is helping coordinate. The main model goes missing, and Nancy is tasked with finding out where she is. Soon she’s involved in a few side mysteries as well, including who stole a fashion designer’s samples and designs.

Looking back past the nostalgia I had for this book, I find the Twin Dilemma lacking in several areas. George is especially cruel about Bess’s weight and Nancy even laughs at her makeover. There’s not a lot of danger in the book, unless you count getting locked in a dark office and the electricity being cut for the building as treacherous. Nancy is able to extricate herself from the situation rather easily (but not before bumping her shin, oh, no!), and it seemed to be no big deal that someone was thwarting her sleuthing.

And speaking of danger, instead of a usual fake telegram from her father luring her out and about as seen in countless books, The Twin Dilemma’s fake telegram actually encourages her to stay home all day instead of investigating the mystery. Yawn!

This mystery is set in New York City’s fashion district which should be exciting to many young girls who are not only smart but want to be smart looking, but it’s really not. The fashion designer, Reese, is a tyrant, and I’m pretty sure his behavior wouldn’t fly today, which makes the book feel rather dated.

I liked this book while revisiting it; it is certainly better than the other Wanderer imprint books I’ve read lately, but I can’t help think that this is the start of a new Nancy Drew that’s more on par with the sleuth from the Nancy Drew Diaries, which I find problematic. I only got to volume 69 of the Nancy Drew Mysteries the first time I tried reading through them, so who knows what will come.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.

http://spreadthewordnevada.org/

Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.

I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This used to be one of my favorites. I liked the look "inside" the fashion industry as a little girl but looking at it as an adult, I realize it's not as good as I thought it was. The mystery is decent but Nancy and her friends seem so out of character. Like not having ANY work experience or being able to type, the fact that other characters constantly referred to Nancy as a teenager.

Also, while I try to read things through the lens of when they were written, some of the stuff obviously didn't age too well. Like George's, albeit light, body shaming of Bess.

I know the tonal changes from the originals have to do with the decade it was written (this one was written in 1981), and the fact that the series probably changed ghostwriters a couple of times. But the differences are very jarring.

Still, I'm fond of the later books just because they were a huge part of my childhood.

[Scrapconsent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book discusses typical social interactions, or interactions that were typical once. These days, reading this book should be obligatory for junior high school students in order to instill common sense, etiquette, and consideration for others. This will likely lead to a significant improvement in social interactions drift boss.

When I mentioned common sense and decency to an adolescent, she said that she didn't think they were common, or else more people would be utilizing them.

This is a significant book, in my opinion.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Drew and her friends, Bess and George, travel to New York City to solve a mystery.

The girls (Nancy, Bess, and George) all get to go on another trip to solve a mystery. Nancy finds out about this mystery, a missing fashion model, from her aunt. This Nancy Drew book does not include Ned, Dave, and Burt like many of the later books did.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun one. It has an unusual section toward the end where we focus on a conversation where none of the main characters are present. I think the author did this to offload the standard lets talk to the criminals and have them reveal every little aspect of who did what at the end. It's a little odd but not in a bad way.

[Shand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Nancy Drew ever since i started playing their desktop/pc games, however this one turned down my expectation. The concept or the story itself sounds like a classic mystery story but the way it has been demonstrated is kinda off i guess. 3.4 for this one!

[Kynzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather confusing and doesn't have much of a story line like the other Nancy Drew books do. If you hadn't read any of the other Nancy Drew books like I had, you would have no idea what was going in because it doesn't introduce any of the characters.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like the motives behind everyone's actions in this book were just needlessly complicated, but this was still fun to re-read.

George is even nastier than usual to Bess about her weight in this one, though.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of the New York fashion scene. Eminently average.

[Helen Viorel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I died of boredom about sixteen times.

[Alexisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Beverly Duell-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

[Lisa Shower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

Not the best and not a favorite of mine. I just have never been able to connect with this one.

[Aashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still own this book. Wouldn't have guessed at all.

[Rebecca Ramsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not Up To Par

Well, I have read Nancy Drew for 50 years. This was one of the later ones and they are totally different than the early ones. It was so boring. I couldn’t even finish it so I’m not sure if this review is even legitimate. It seemed much drama about nothing.

[Mary Spencer Veazey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needed a nostalgic read from childhood. Nancy Drew stan forever, can we take out all the comments about Bess’s weight tho let a girl live

[Rhonda Thomasson]

I love some Nancy Drew! Read this book in just a few hours!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one that much. It seems to me the later books are not as well written and that I much prefer the earlier books. This one was just confusing. The writing wasn’t up to par and seemed a bit lazy to me, especially as in the second to last chapter it switches to the perspective of some of the other characters and uses that as a way to start bringing the whole thing together. I found it hard to keep track of who was who and I’m not sure I really understood everything by the end.

[Pearline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Low budget review for myself: George kept commenting about Bess' weight and Nancy also laughed at her makeover. Nancy is slim and fits the model standards the best, she has beauty and brains and gets tricked by a fake telegram from her father which keeps her home and out of the action. lol. boring.

[Xyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Took forever to read this one. Well, not really. I didn't have much chance to read over the holidays and only really picked it back up during work lunches.

I really like the Nancy Drew series mysteries. I think they are the original cozy mysteries. One of the interesting insights they give today's reader is how people survived without cell phones. Of course, there are times when I wish Nancy, Bess, and George did have some newer technology to assist them in their endeavors.

This mystery is set in New York City's fashion district. While interesting, this mystery seemed much more chaotic than others. Several people impersonating others. Who to follow? Who is the good guy? Who is the bad?

I did not get to read all of the Nancy Drew mysteries when I was a young girl; I was much more interested in the Hardy Boys. As I read them now it strikes me that George is a bit of a bully toward Bess. Always nagging her about her weight. The author(s) [If you are a true fan you know why I added the parenthetical "s".] write it in as "friendly teasing," but it's not and you can tell by the way Bess gets upset about it. She is written as hurt and yet it stays a feature in each book. This is my only complaint with this series. Otherwise, I judge each mystery on its own merits.

As I mentioned above, the plot was rather chaotic. I wasn't sure who the "twins" would end up being. Each time I thought I had an idea, a detail shifted my thoughts and conclusions. i think that is a good thing. While I like figuring out the conclusion before the last page, I don't like being sure in the first or second chapter.

It was fun to ride along with Nancy, Bess, and George as they traveled from the runways to the piers and was glad the sleuths were smart and kept people around in case of trouble. You know there would be some.

Overall, a fun read. I really liked the premise and resolution.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys throughout my school and college days.
Nancy Drew is an amateur detective who solves crimes with occasional help from her best friends, Bess and George and, her boyfriend Ned. She also has occasional help from her father Carson Drew who runs a private law practice. From finding stolen goods to missing persons and solving mysterious happenings, Nancy is a force of nature.
Until I discovered that Carolyn Keene is a pen name for a whole bunch of ghostwriters, I used to feel confused about the slight differences in each character from books to book over the many series of Nancy Drew mysteries. I like the character of Nancy best in the original books written by Mildred Wirt Benson where Nancy is truly a character to root for – an independent and street smart girl with a penchant for trouble.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The one thing I always felt about Nancy Drew books, even when I was reading them as a kid, was that they were solved so easily. This one is no different, but it is still an interesting story and a fun read, if you like YA mysteries. Nancy Drew always manages to be interesting. The only thing I really didn't like in this one was the sudden shift in perspective toward the end to one of the "bad" guy's perspectives. It was clearly done just to deliver information the reader needed, and while I know it's YA and the technique is generally acceptable, and not really noticed, it bothered me. Anyways, good book and I will always recommend a Nancy Drew to a young mystery reader--though if Encyclopedia Brown is available, I'd recommend that first.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Drew hits the modeling set as she is thrust into one of her most fast-paced cases. I enjoyed this ND book because it placed her out of her realm. There are some rather scathing remarks about modeling in this fresh book. This one stands out from most of the series for its originality and story content.